Contains the presentations and discussions that took place during a symposium at the CIBA Foundation on October 1-3, 1990 on the subject of catalytic antibodies. The recognition that monoclonal antibodies can possess catalytic activity is a recent advance with profound ramifications for chemistry. In addition to their potential commercial applications as catalysts for reactions, for which there are no known enzymes, antibodies promise to provide valuable insight into the detailed mechanisms of biological catalysis and organic chemistry.